A Song of Fall and Murder
by maesteroftales
Summary: Modern AU. Welcome to Winterfell, a cozy little burg where everything is well and things go right. That is until grisly murders begin to occur. Can Sheriff Ned Stark solve this case? Or will his daughter and her new friend solve it first?
1. Ned I

It was a cold dark night as a single police squad car made its way down the deserted highway going out of Winterfell. Menacing storm clouds had rolled in and for several days had covered the small burg in a torrential down poor of freezing rain. Small rumbles of thunder and distant flashes of lightening were testament to the weather as well as the drips of rain that hit the windshield to be wiped off with ease.

The neon green numbers of the clock said 2:48 A.M. when Sheriff Ned Stark had last checked. The gruff man still had bags under his eyes from being called out in the middle of the night to a remote farm several miles outside of town. The only reason that had made him get up so quickly was the tone that his deputy had spoken with. Stannis Baratheon was anything but skittish but they way he had spoken with Ned over the phone had convinced the Sheriff that something certainly disturbing had happened.

Ned kept his eyes fixed on the road which was slick under the view of his headlights. He had been the only car on the deserted country highway, sided on all sides by tall forbidding pine trees. The country song he had been listening two ended and soon the DJ got back on.

_"And that my friends was Home is Where the Horse Is by Young Griff and the Gold Company. And now for weather. Stay inside my friends because this October has got a rainy time planned for us. Storms will continue into early November so Halloween this year my be a little more wet then you hoped. It is currently 28 degrees Fahrenheit so bundle up out there my late night friends. It is currently 2:50 A.M. and you are listening to Varys the Night Spider."_

Ned sighed and turned off the radio. He had a lot on his mind and didn't need this to add to it. His wife wanted him to visit her father at the old folks home in Riverrun. His son Robb had just graduated college and his daughter Sansa had graduated high school and was now at college. His other daughter, Arya, a sophomore, had gotten into a fight in school and was now suspended for two weeks. Not to mention for his son Bran's physical therapy and his youngest's, Rickon, tutoring. And on top of all of that, he had to worry about punk kids fooling about as Halloween got closer and closer.

His thoughts were cut off as he pulled up an old farm estate. The house was a beaten down old thing and the barn was in even greater disrepair. An old sign hung from it's hinges with the word 'Craster' painted on it though the paint had now chipped and the wood was rotting. Ned turned off the car, grabbed his coffee, and made his way around the house to the unforgettable seen of police tape wrapped into a perfect square.

"Good thing you got here sir," Deputy Jory Cassel nodded to him as he approached, "Got the call a few hours ago. Apparently old Mrs. Craster said she and her husband had been hearing noises coming from round the back. Apparently Mr. Craster went out to check. She heard the sound of a scuffle and then silence. She called out for him and came out to check only to find him... well... see for yourself..."

Ned nodded and handed him his coffee. He approached the square and ducked under the tape. As his eyes rose they went to meet the sight of old Craster, his head caved in and blood everywhere. Ned inhaled sharply. This was the first murder in his jurisdiction since his election. And it just had to be a gruesome one.

"Disgusting way to go isn't it?" a solemn voice came from behind Ned. He turned to see Stannis walk up, his face in a permanent scowl, "Haven't seen a gruesome death like this since the Mountain Murders."

Ned gave an involuntary shudder. Years before, when he and Stannis were both new deputies, the Targaryen Family was found brutally murdered in their home. The father, Rhaegar, had his chest crushed in with a blunt object. The wife, Elia, had been raped numerous times before having her head cut off which was missing from the crime scene. Even the little children, toddler Rhaneys and infant Aegon, were dead. Rhaneys' intestines had been torn out and the infant's head had been smashed into a wall. It had been the most gruesome murder in all of Winterfell's history. It turned out it had been a crazed biker, Gregor Clegane, who had thought Rhaegar had insulted him when he was passing through. He was now in a mental care facility safely away in King's Landing. But now, a new killer was up to things equally as gruesome.

Ned examined the body, "Well it was certainly a blunt object that did him in. Did you find anything else?"

Stannis shook his head, "No... very few leads at this point. Craster was hated by a lot of people, his wife included. But there isn't anyone within miles of this place. In short... we are fucking clueless..."

Ned sighed, "This October just keeps getting better and better..."

Stannis snorted and headed back to the house as Ned kept staring at the body. Then, in a matter of minutes he quickly turned to Jory, "I want some forensics done immediately. I want patrol cars out nightly. And make sure it's all done discreetly. The last thing this Halloween needs is a panic."

* * *

Thanks for reading! Leave some nice juicy reviews and tell me what you think! Till next time!


	2. Arya I

"But MOM! This is all just fucking bullshit! Why the hell-"

"Arya Josephine Stark do not use that language with me! You are suspended. This is a punishment, not a vacation!"

"Really? A punishment for knocking out that slut Ros for being a fucking bitch to Hot Pie!? Then why do I feel like I deserve a FUCKING MEDAL!"

"Arya what you did was wrong and you know it!"

"She was making fun of Hot Pie! You know how sensitive he is! He's one of my best friends and she just insults him in front of the whole school!"

"I swear Arya why can't you be more like Sansa!"

With that statement, Catelyn Stark brought the kitchen to utter silence. Bran sat in his wheelchair with bated breath as the silence got so thick and tense that it felt that within moments it would explode. Arya's grey eyes were wild and fierce, the grip on her spoon so tight that her younger brother swore she would leave indents. Bran was thankful Rickon had spent the night at a friend's house and wouldn't have to be picked up till the afternoon, because so far this morning wasn't going to well. The eighth grader was praying his mom didn't do something stupid. But apparently God was busy making tornadoes or something.

Catelyn's mouth morphed into a thin line before she spoke softly, "Well at least Sansa was a proper daughter. You can't deny that while she was perfect you are acting like a total anima-"

SMASH! The innocent bowl of cereal met a grisly end as Arya threw across the table and it shattered against the wall leaving a broken pile and milk that ran down the wall. Arya's eyes were aflame and her mouth turned into something resembling a snarl.

"Well maybe you SHOULD have had that abortion but too late now isn't it!"

"My God Arya, clean up that mess and start acting your damn age!"

"Maybe I fucking will!" Arya yelled back as she walked over and started putting on her leather jacket.

"Do not leave this house young lady!" Catelyn warned her eyes equally as fiery.

Arya responded with a middle finger and slamming the door as she left the house. The small home became instantly quiet besides Catelyn's ragged breathing. Bran just ate his cereal and thought _Just another day in the Stark household_.

* * *

Arya stomped out of the house and stuck her hands into her pockets as the cold wind blew around her. The rain had stopped for a bit but it was still cloudy and looked liked it could start raining all over again. Her torn jeans didn't do much to keep her warm but the amount of fucks she gave was less than or equal to zero.

_How dare she!_ she raged on the inside _How dare she prefer that stuck up prude of a sister to me! I do my best! I can't help it if I'm independent! It's who I am!_

Her face was now a permanent snarl as she kicked a coke can on the sidewalk. Dark thoughts filled her head as she clenched her teeth and shook her hair from her face. Why did being an independent teenaged girl have to suck so much!?

Once she turned off Weirwood Lane, she quickly turned on to Stag Street. With a huff, curls of mist blew out of her mouth and just as quickly vanished into the cold air. She was so damn bored. Her mother would probably take away her laptop and probably her gaming privileges on the family computer too. No way in hell was she gonna work on homework. Hot Pie was probably hanging out with Mycah but Mycah's house was across town and she was in no mood to-

"Watch it!" a strong voice called out right before Arya ran into something. She shook herself out of her trance as she fell back on the ground with the sound of objects falling around her.

And then she looked up.

And she saw the purest, strongest, most beautiful blue eyes ever.

It was a boy.

No no. It was not a boy. It was a man. A tall man. A strong one too. Waves of muscles wrapped around strong arms and made his chest broad and powerful looking. His face was ruggedly handsome, with hair like coal and eyes like diamonds.

Arya stared at him for god knows how long before he quirked an eyebrow, "You ok?"

His voice was rough and smooth at the same time. Heavy but it settled on her ears like big warm pillows wrapped in beautifully tanned muscl-

Arya snapped out of it. He was probably like all other beautiful people. Probably full of himself. Probably made fun of people. And most likely would not want to be associated with Arya "Horseface". in fact, she could tell he was gonna yell at her any minute for bumping into him. Well she would beat him to it.

She quickly got to her feet and stared him down. Or up as her eyes only reached his chest.

"Oye!" she grumbled, "Watch where you are going next time!"

The man gave another amused grin, "Normally the person who ran into the other would say she is sorry. Not the other way round."

Arya scowled, "You ran into me, stupid!"

"Don't call me stupid. You just met me!"

"Well you are if you run into people!"

"You did run into me..."

Arya just stared at him. He was bull headed this one. But not mean, she decided. The least she could do is give him a little courtesy. After all, she was angry at her mother and didn't need to lash out at someone else.

"I suppose I did..." she mumbled a bit before speaking up, "I'm Arya."

The man gave a smile and nod as he began picking up the boxes he had dropped, "Gendry."

Arya gave a small smile back, "You must be new in town. I never saw you before at Red Keep High and you look like you might be around twenty."

"Twenty-one actually. Just celebrated my birthday," he chuckled. "But you are right. I am new. Me and my roommate just bought this house right here. Gonna fix it up and make it good as new."

Arya smiled and then turned.

Her smile vanished.

In front of her, hidden among overgrown pine trees, sat the old Targaryen place.


End file.
